Method of uniting the edge portions of metal sheets.



R. E. DUNHAM.

METHOD OF UNITING THE EDGE PORTIONS 0F METAL SHEETS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. l6. l9l4.

Patented Dec. 4, 1917.

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it? t W RAY E. DUNHAM, OF BERJEA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE DUNHAM COMPANY,OF BEEEA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

METHOD OF UNITING THE EDGE PORTIONS F METAL SEETS.

Specification of Letters lE'atent.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, RAY E. DUNHAM, a citizen of the United States,resident of Berea, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have inventedanew and useful Tmprovement in Methods of Uniting the Edge Portions ofMetal Sheets, of which the following is a specification, the principleof the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which Ihave contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it fromother inventions. I

My invention relates to methods of uniting the edge-portions of metalsheets by welding, its object being to eflect such a union in anefficient and economical manner and particularly a water-tight jointbetween the flanges and the parts contiguous thereto of water-ballastlawn rollers. It will, of course, stood that the same method may beemployed wherever it is desirable to eflect an efficient union betweencontiguous edge portions of metal sheets lying in face-to-face contact.

The said invention consists of a method of forming such jointhereinafter fully described and particularly set forth in the claims.

The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detailthe method embodying my invention together with the resultant product,the disclosed method, however, constituting but one of various forms inwhich the principle of the invention may be applied.

In said annexed drawing Figure 1 represents a cross-sectional view oftwo fragmentary portions of steel plate.

in face-to-face contact, such plates being arranged in accordance withthe heretofore well-known and accepted practice.

Fig. 2 is a similar section showing the character of the union eflectedbetween the edge-portions of said two plates, 1n accordance with theheretofore well-known and accepted practice.

Fig. 3 represents a cross-sectional view of the edge-portions of twosteel plates of equal thickness arranged according to my invention andin the position which they are caused to occupy prior to the weldingoperatlon.

Fig. 4 represents a slmilar sectlon of said edge-portions of said sheetsafter the welding operation has been eflected.

the parts after for the purpose of forming be underprior to the weldingoperation and arranged in accordance with my invention.

Flg. 6 1s a vlew similar to Fig. after thewelding operation has takenplace.

Fig. 7 is an axial sectional view of a fragmentary portion of thecentral part of one of the heads and the axial tube of such lawn roller,arranged in position prior to the Welding operation.

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 7 showing the, welding operation hasbeen completed.

Fig. 9 represents an axial section of the drum of a water-ballast rollerconstructed in accordance with my invention.

In the practice heretofore employed in welding the outer flanges of awater ballast roller to the ends of the cylindrical shell, the headshave been set so as to bring the outer ends of said shell flush with theouter ends of said flanges, as shown in Fig. 1. An oxy-acetylene flamewas then applied to the ends of the shell and flanges, as shown in Fig.1, and the metal thereof fused until a joint was eflected. The formationof such joint was sometimes facilitated with the use of what is calledweldin iron, this iron being applied to the joint in much the samemanner as solder is applied in a soldering operation. Such describedprocess resulted in a joint such as is illustrated in Fig. 2 and it hasbeen found that only a very small portion of the metal mass became fusedor welded and only a very short joint thereby effected. Any blow ofmoderate strength applied to such a joint eflected its separation andhence permitted leakage of the water from the interior of the roller.

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so that one may overlap the other, as is 2' shown in Fig. 3, and thenapplying the oxyacetylene flame to the projecting metal periphery, whilesuch projecting metal is in a position above the metal of the othersheet, the projecting mass is melted down i and runs over and oppositethe end of the other plate or sheet, as shown in Fig. 4, this mass atthe same time fusing and uniting with such end of the other sheet orplate. A very much greater mass of metal is thus shown in Fig.

joint and a consequently eflicient and stable joint of water rollers isusually less in thickness than the metal of the shell or themetal of theinner tube, as shown in Fig. 9.

As will be observed from such figure, each head 1 is formed with anouter flange 2 and an inner central flange 3 surrounding a centralopening 4. An axial tube 5 passes through these central openings andthrough the flanges 3.

In applying the above described process to the formation of a unionbetween the said outer flanges 2 and the shell 6, I inset the heads, soas to cause the shell to project beyond the thinner metal of the flanges2, as shown in Fig. 5. The oxy-acetylene flame is then directed upon theend of the'shell, as 9, and the welding operation is performed asdescribed in connection with the parts illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.When the operation is completed, the weld will be formed asillustratedin Fig. 6, in which the dotted lines indicate the originaloutline of the edge-portion of the flange.

metal.

- are united with the v the 35- the other element, as is an eflicientandvof the parts.

In a like manner the ends of the tube 5 flanges 3, the end of the p toproject beyond the endof the flan e as shown in Fi 7, and the resultantjoint eing illustrated 1n Fig. 8.

In applying the flame, such portion of structure should be selected inwhich the overlapping metal is above the metal of shown in Fig. 9.overlapping and upper may be turned tube being caused 'As soon as allthe sition, as will be readilyunderstood. It will thus be seen that ajoint is effected in which the flanges of the thicker metal projectbeyond the flanges of the thinner metal, overlap same and form a massopposite the end portion of the flange of thinner In the above.described manner, I obtain permanent water-tight union The describedwelding process may be carried out with the. addition of welding iron,as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

Having fully described my invention, what claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is 1. The method of uniting the edge-portions of metalsheets which consists in placing such edge-portions in face-to-face con-.more heat than the tact with the face of one such portion extendingbeyond the contiguous face of the other, and subjecting portions to afusing heat, the application of such heat to the edge-portion soextending being made such of more of its mass edge-portion.

2. The method of unitin the edge-portions of metal sheets of di erentthickness, which consists in placing such edge-portions in face-to-facecontact with the face of the sheet of greater thickness extending beyondthe contiguous face of the other edge-portion, and then subjecting theends of such edge-portions to a fusing heat, the application of suchheat to the edge-portion so extending being made such as to effect thefusion of more of its mass than is eflected in the other edge-portion. 1

3. The method of uniting the edge portions of metal sheets, differing inthickness, which consists in placing two such sheets in face contactwith the thicker one above and projecting beyond or over the thinner,and directing a flame in a downward direction upon and against thethicker overhanging edge, whereby the thicker sheet receives than thatof the other as to effect the fusion more heat directly than the thinnerand both tend to fuse to welding temperature at substantially the sametime.

4. The method of welding edges of metal sheets together which consists1n fplacing contact and the edge of the upper extending beyond the edgeof the lower and directing a welding flame downward upon substantiallythe area of the projecting part, whereby the upper sheet is made toreceive lower, and the up er projecting part to fuse with the heated ege of the lower sheet.

1Signed by me, this 12th day of February, 19 4.

RAY E. DUNHAM.

